Cervical Vertebrae

The cervical vertebrae consist of seven vertebrae – C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and C7. They begin from the base of the skull and extend up to the thoracic spine. Cervical vertebrae consist of cylindrical bones that encase the spinal cord and work with the different parts of the body such as ligaments, joints, muscles and tendons in order to provide structure, stabilization and support to the neck.The first cervical vertebra is unique which has a ring that rotates around the odontoid (second vertebral body). The cervical vertebrae are smallest which are located near the skull. The vertebrae in the lumbar spine and thoracic spine are bigger than all of the cervical vertebrae.